The formation of (bi)carbonates is a pressing issue for CO2 electroreduction in neutral or alkaline solutions. It adversely causes low single-pass conversion efficiency as a result of (bi)carbonate crossover, as well as limited device lifetimes as a result of (bi)carbonate precipitation at the cathode. One emerging solution to circumvent this challenge is conducting the reaction in acids. To this end, we here demonstrate an acid-fed membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for CO2 electroreduction to CO. A diluted electrolyte with an H+ to Cs+ ratio of 1:1 and a relatively low current density are optimal conditions to achieve high CO Faradaic efficiencies. A relatively high H+ versus Cs+ ratio offers high electrocatalytic activities. By systematically evaluating the impact of H+ and Cs+ concentration on the electrochemical performance, we uncover the essential role of the balance between the rates of (bi)carbonate formation and H+ diffusion in determining the selectivity and activity. As a result, we report a CO partial current density of ∼105 mA cm–2 at an ∼4 V cell voltage, a near-doubled activity toward CO compared to a neutral MEA at a similar voltage. Under the optimal conditions for long-term operation, our acid-fed membrane electrode assembly is capable of delivering a CO Faradaic efficiency of ∼80%, an extraordinary single-pass conversion efficiency of ∼90% (about twice that of neutral MEA), and a 50 h long-term stability notably superior to those in previous reports.

Background Berberine (BBR), a compound extracted from a variety of medicinal herbs, has been shown multiple pharmacological effects against cancer cells of different origins. Cisplatin (DDP) is known as an effective chemotherapeutic agent against cancer by inducing DNA damage and cell apoptosis. However, the effect of the combined used of BBR and DDP on cell necroptosis in ovarian cancer has not been reported. Methods OVCAR3 and three patient-derived primary ovarian cancer cell lines (POCCLs) were chosen as the experimental objects. To determine the potential anti-cancer activity of BBR and DDP in combination, we firstly treated OVCAR3 and POCCLs cells with BBR and/or DDP. The cell viability of OVCAR3 and POCCLs with treatment of BBR or DDP for different hours was measured by CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle distribution and changes in apoptotic cells after treatment with BBR and/or DDP. The morphological changes of OVCAR3 cells were observed by using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Proliferation, apoptosis and necroptosis related markers of OVCAR3 and POCCLs with treatment of BBR or DDP were measured by RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence assay. Results Our results demonstrated that BBR significantly inhibited the proliferation of OVCAR3 and primary ovarian cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The combination treatment of BBR and DDP had a prominent inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. TEM revealed that the majority of cells after BBR or DDP treatment had an increasing tendency of typical apoptotic and necrotic cell death morphology. Besides, BBR and DDP inhibited the expression of PCNA and Ki67 and enhanced the expression and activation of Caspase-3, Caspase-8, RIPK3 and MLKL. Conclusion This study proposed that the combination therapy of BBR and DDP markedly enhanced more ovarian cancer cell death by inducing apoptosis and necroptosis, which may improve the anticancer effect of chemotherapy drugs. The apoptosis involved the caspase-dependent pathway, while the necroptosis involved the activation of the RIPK3–MLKL pathway. We hope our findings might provide a new insight for the potential of BBR as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

There is a lack of straightforward methods to prepare high‐quality bismuthene nanosheets, or, even more challengingly, to grow their arrays due to the low melting point and high oxophilicity of bismuth. This synthetic obstacle has hindered their potential applications. In this work, it is demonstrated that the galvanic replacement reaction can do the trick. Under well‐controlled conditions, large‐area vertically aligned bismuthene nanosheet arrays are grown on Cu substrates of various shapes and sizes. The product features small nanosheet thickness of two to three atomic layers, large surface areas, and abundant porosity between nanosheets. Most remarkably, bismuthene nanosheet arrays grown on Cu foam can enable efficient CO2 reduction to formate with high Faradaic efficiency of >90%, large current density of 50 mA cm−2, and great stability.

We present a facile approach toward straightforward synthesis of Janus nanoparticles (NPs) of poly(4vinylpyridine)-based block copolymers by solvent evaporation induced assembly within emulsion droplets. Formation of the Janus NPs is arisen from the synergistic effect between solvent selectivity and interfacial selectivity. This method is robust without the requisites of narrow molecular weight distribution and specific range of block fraction of the copolymers. Janus NPs can also be achieved from mixtures of copolymers, whose aspect size ratio and thus Janus balance are finely tunable. The Janus NPs are capable to self-assemble into ordered superstructures either onto substrates or in dispersions, whose morphology relies on Janus balance.